Nitrogen in tires
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2008
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From: Madison, Ms
Nitrogen in tires
Being in the equipment business and have sold a few Nitrogen air systems for automotive tire shops, and planning to replace the air in my tires with Nitrogen. Has anybody else already done the change. I have heard many great improvement stories about car tires but what about bike tires? Is there enough volume to make a difference?
Road Warrior
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Road Master
Joined: Apr 2008
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From: North East, Florida
I don't think volume has much to do with it. I've checked in to it and the big benefit is the fact that, nitrogen doesn't expand and contract like air so tire life is extended. Nitrogen is dry so corrosion inside a rim is far less or none. Also the molecules in nitrogen are supposed to be larger than air so tires won't leak down as quickly. Most race car drivers use nitrogen and some of the Harley Dealers around here advertise nitrogen fill with tire change. All just stuff I've read.
Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Australia
This was dealt with fairly unkindly in a prev post.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...for-tires.html
As I said:
I inflate my tyres with compressed unicorn farts. Cost $3500 but the pressure never changes no matter what the temperature is.
Seriously scientifically speaking the universal gas law is
PV=NRT
pressure x volume = number of moles of gas x R (gas constant) x Temperature
R for air is 53.34, Nitrogen is 54.99, ie there is about 3% difference between N2 and Air. This is because air is about 79% nitrogen.
The difference in expansion rate as temperature changes is 3% - negligable.
Go ahead and use it if you like, its a liberty bell for your tyres.
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/touri...for-tires.html
As I said:
I inflate my tyres with compressed unicorn farts. Cost $3500 but the pressure never changes no matter what the temperature is.
Seriously scientifically speaking the universal gas law is
PV=NRT
pressure x volume = number of moles of gas x R (gas constant) x Temperature
R for air is 53.34, Nitrogen is 54.99, ie there is about 3% difference between N2 and Air. This is because air is about 79% nitrogen.
The difference in expansion rate as temperature changes is 3% - negligable.
Go ahead and use it if you like, its a liberty bell for your tyres.
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Cruiser
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From: Madison, Ms
I will do my own test, but during a conversation today at an equipment show my manufaturer rep told me he did it in his roadking and he could tell a huge difference and he went into the spill about the molecule being bigger and adding a cushion so to speak. But I am a show me kind of guy, so, I will do the change this weekend at a shop that I sold a unit to and will find out by my seat of the pants dyno.
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Mississippi
Nitrogen is used in airplane tires, due to its stability in hot and cold temps. When a jet is flying at 30,000 feet it is cold as heck up there, Tires with regular air in them would probably lose all their pressure at that temp and altitude. I can see where it would be a big advantage in motorcycle and car tires.
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I used it in my softail that has a mag style wheel on the back and a spoke wheel on the front after buying new tires front and rear. Spoke type wheels in my experience tend to slowly leak by nature. I was told that with the bigger molecules that this would no longer be a problem. Well, its still a problem. The front one does have to have air added to it still as over time it still leaks down. The rear stays aired up but it did that without nitrogen too. I also paid to have it put in my truck tires when I bought a new set of michelins ut feel i paid too much and its a bit of a gimmick at $10 per tire.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,639
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From: Australia
I will do my own test, but during a conversation today at an equipment show my manufaturer rep told me he did it in his roadking and he could tell a huge difference and he went into the spill about the molecule being bigger and adding a cushion so to speak. But I am a show me kind of guy, so, I will do the change this weekend at a shop that I sold a unit to and will find out by my seat of the pants dyno.
The molecule is bigger????? 79% of air is Nitrogen, for starters. Oxygen is the other main component of air and its atomic wieght is only 2 less than Nitrogen.
Long story short you are being bullsheeted in a huge way. There is no difference for automotive reasons.
If you ride your bike at 30,000ft then you might need nitrogen.
You should also read the other thread. There is some funny stuff in there.
The contents of a G size bottle of industrial nitrogen costs around $25 and can fill around 280 tyres. There is lots of profit behind the bullsheet.....
Last edited by kingkingking; Oct 8, 2009 at 09:44 PM.